Comic-Con 2011: Justin Timberlake’s ‘In Time’ Footage Wows Crowd

Justin Timberlake made his first Comic-Con appearance for Fox’s In Time, and although he had the crowd yelling for him as he stood next to his love interest Amanda Seyfried, the real surprise may have been the solid footage, which gave the first real look at a heady sci-fi concept from Andrew Niccol, the writer of The Truman Show who also made Gattacca.

The story is set in future where people are genetically programmed to live to the age of 25 but can live longer if they buy or steal time credits.

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The footage shown introduced viewers to the dystopian world, where coffee costs four days (up from three days the previous week) and where Timberlake is having a tough go at making ends meet in the slums.

A 105-year-old man played by a young-looking Matt Bomer (White Collar) gifts him a century of time, but when Bomer ends up dead, Timberlake is forced to go on the run, chased by immortal rich and by the police, led by Cillian Murphy.

The shots shown established the haves and the have-nots, and there is one funny shot of one of the high society leaders, played by Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser, introducing his mother, wife and daughter, all played by actresses in their 20s.

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He takes the daughter, played by Seyfried, hostage, and she soon ends up being wanted as well. (Doesn’t help that in one shot she warns Timberlake then proceeds to fire at Murphy.)

The sizzle reel build up to a car chase, gunplay and more action.

“It’s a child of Gattacca,” Niccol said, describing the movie.

Fox also offered up extended looks at Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which opens Aug. 5.

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Director Rupert Sanders was on hand as well as Andy Serkis, whose motion-capture performance is behind the simian stylings of Caesar, the ape that gains ultra-intelligence via a drug and leads an ape revolution.

Serkis, in his discussion with moderator Damon Lindelof, returned several times to talk about the great possibilities of motion capture.

Many actors are resisting the process, fearing it will end up with actors being replaced by CG technology.

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“I love the transformation,” Serkis said. “What appeals to me most about acting is that transformation.”

He pointed out the dramatic journey of his character, saying he begins the movie as a young innocent soul, brought up by human beings. He is later experimented on and treated as a freak and thrown into a sanctuary that is more like a hardcore prison than a haven and ends up leading a revolution.

“And by the way, he’s an ape,” Serkis said. “Performance capture is not a genre. You don’t make performance capture movies. It’s a tool.”